The former IAF commanders published an open letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to clear up their opposition to the bill.

The letter is signed, among others, by generals Dan Tolkovsky and Amikam Norkin, and only the signatures of the four former corps commanders, who are now deceased, were missing.

“We are following with deep concern the situation that is taking place in the State of Israel,” they wrote. “We are trembling before the consequences of these processes and before the serious and concrete danger that this represents for national security,” they stressed in the document.

The letter was published a day after it was learnt that 37 reserve pilots from the 69th fighter squadron, one of the most elite in the IAF, refused to show up for training next Wednesday in protest against the reform.

On Friday, 60 pilots met with IAF commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar to express concern about the reform, saying it could leave them vulnerable to prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

Many reservists have signed similar petitions amid strong national polarization over the bill, which threatens to divide Israel.

The Arutz Sheva radio station revealed on Monday that Netanyahu could be forced to travel to Rome this week on a commercial flight after failing to find a pilot for the government plane.

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